Chapter 239

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Chapter 239: Humans and Monsters

It’s monsters.

Monsters attacked the town, poisoning the village’s water source.

The poisoned villagers died, and then they stood up and became walking dead.

Tragedies like this were happening everywhere in the entire village, couples killing each other, fathers and sons harming each other, grandfathers who loved their grandchildren personally snapped their throats.

People who have watched zombie dramas know that once infected with the virus, once the transformation occurs, it is already completely irreversible.

However, even if they knew this was the reality, how many people could ruthlessly harm their loved ones without hesitation?

They couldn’t do it.

They were all hardworking and law-abiding townspeople, living their lives with feet on the soil, their hands never stained with the blood of murder.

It is precisely because they couldn’t do it that someone needed to do these things for them.

Bai Wei walked through the village, gripping his own knife. Any walking dead with crimson eyes were killed by him.

Years of martial arts training, finally put to use.

Yet he was not happy at all, not a bit grateful.

Those whose heads were cut off were once familiar to him, they were neighbors who had several jujube trees in their yard, they were veteran hunters who always shared their catches with the neighbors, they were slightly greedy but also willing to help the needy merchants.

He knew them all, yet when it was time to brandish the sword, he couldn’t afford to hesitate for a second longer.

For the sake of the living, there will always be someone wielding the butcher’s knife.

Even the survivors won’t appreciate it. Some curse him for being cold and ruthless, some cry hoarsely asking why, while others say nothing and simply glare at him with hate-filled eyes.

Bai Wei turned and walked through the flames, leaving his gaze behind.

The attack came suddenly, and when it arrived, Uncle Liu was nowhere to be found.

Bai Wei ran through the town, saving people and searching for Uncle Liu’s whereabouts.

He ran all the way, killing countless walking dead, and finally arrived at the back of the mountain. It was quiet here, but he saw several slain demon corpses by the roadside, with blood trails leading into the mountains.

Without hesitation, he headed straight into the mountains, but he was still one step too late.

Uncle Liu was confronting the demon halfway up the mountain, they were acquainted, they were enemies.

The demon wore a bright red and purple outfit, except for the eyes, there was nothing about it that resembled a human.

"Crouching Tiger, to think you would hide in such a place and wait for death."

"What does it have to do with you? I’m just finding a place to retire."

"In the prime of your life, yet thinking of retirement. How ridiculous, Crouching Tiger. It seems your fangs and claws have dulled significantly compared to the past."

Uncle Liu spat out a mouthful of saliva and said, "Why don’t you try?"

The demon narrowed its eyes and said, "It seems you are distracted. Your opponent is clearly me, yet you’re still concerned about those mortals behind you?"

"Mortals?" Uncle Liu swung his majestic sword aura and said, "I am also a mortal."

The sword aura was easily intercepted by the demon, and its sleeves rustled loudly.

"You don’t have to be." It said in a deep voice, "You once had the opportunity to transcend the mundane."

Uncle Liu chuckled, "What, still trying to recruit me?"

The demon grinned, "Back then, my king invited you to the royal capital… wanted to take you as a son-in-law, even willing to share the eternal life with you. The opportunity to reach the heavens in one step was in your hands, as long as you agreed, you would be the emperor of our demon clan. But what did you do, Crouching Tiger! Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten!"

Uncle Liu raised his gaze and said coldly, "That is between her and me. It’s not for you to meddle in!"

The demon asked in a low voice, "I really want to know why, Liu Tianquan. It’s been so many years, and I just want to ask you one thing. Why! Why did you refuse the invitation of my king? You rejected her, even went as far as to attack her when she went to negotiate alone. Clearly, she had deep feelings for you, and we could have been the best of friends."

Moonlight spilled into the mountains, the moonlit pool in front quietly rippling, while the village behind was engulfed in flames.

Uncle Liu remained silent, gazing at the monstrous face of the demon.

His expression was complex and indescribable. After a long, long silence, he took a deep breath, tightened his grip on the sword, and made a swift horizontal slash.

"I am human."

"You are monsters!"

"And that is the reason!"

As the voice fell, the demon’s eyes were filled with ferocity and rage. "Just because of this?!"

"Isn’t this enough?" Uncle Liu shouted loudly. "I am Crouching Tiger, the Pacification Officer of the Monster-slaying Bureau! Behind me is the entire human world. How could I betray them and allow you to grow stronger?!"

"Don’t give me those noble jokes!" the demon roared.

"You see, this is where you are different from me." Uncle Liu calmed down instead. "You don’t understand, because you are a monster. So you wouldn’t understand me… Even if we have traveled through half of the human world together, you still wouldn’t understand!"

"Is the human world really that important?" the demon said in a low voice. "More important than wealth, longevity, or even her?"

"Yes," Uncle Liu said slowly and heavily. "No matter how many times you ask me, my answer will always be ‘yes’."

"Perhaps it may seem noble in your eyes, but in my eyes, the entire human world is more important than wealth and prosperity, more important than my life alone, and certainly more important than her."

Uncle Liu gripped the sword, speaking slowly and deliberately. "I cannot let the tens of millions of people behind me become slaves to your demonic race. This is a struggle between races, a competition for survival. It has nothing to do with morality or sensibility. Because when you are stronger than us, you will choose conquest over peace. That is the nature of you demons! Perhaps it is also the instinct of living beings to prey on others. Humans can still be restrained, but you demons cannot and will not be restrained."

"She’s the same."

"I can only do this, I have no choice."

The demon raised its eyes, and the ferocious expression slowly faded away. Its nails cut open a bloody gash on its face.

"In the past, I thought it was because the conditions we offered weren’t high enough, because our friendship wasn’t deep enough, because you never loved her."

"But now I understand. It was me who was wrong, and I never truly understood you."

The demon’s tone grew increasingly disappointed.

"After that incident, you didn’t return to the Monster-slaying Bureau, you didn’t continue to serve the Human King, but instead came back here to live despondently."

"You still harbor guilt in your heart."

"But you have never regretted. Compared to the guilt and pain you carry for a lifetime, the human world is more important to you. Before the human world, everything can be abandoned, including yourself."

Its nails were dripping with blood, and its face looked even more grim. "I just don’t understand, where does this sense of responsibility come from?"

Uncle Liu said calmly, "So I am human."

Blood seeped from the corners of the demon’s eyes. "So I am a monster."

It completely eradicated hesitation as it bent down, power flowing through its body, an invisible spring gradually winding up, "I am here to take what she left behind… Even if you kill her, the people of Renguo cannot defile her body. Hand over the monster core she left behind."

Uncle Liu sneered, "You’re dreaming, aren’t you?"

"If you won’t give it to me, I’ll take it myself."

"Come on, it’s about time we settle this." Uncle Liu curled his arm around the Crouching Tiger Sword, wiping off the bloodstains from the blade. "Let’s determine life and death."

"You will die. I will kill you with my own hands and scatter your ashes."

"But at least, I can die in my homeland." Uncle Liu laughed carefreely.

On the mountainside, knives and swords flashed, and the air was filled with the aura of killing.

In the blink of an eye, the battle began and ended, the dust had settled.

Fighting was just fighting, without the poetic elegance. Both humans and monsters understood each other too well. The outcome was decided in an instant.

Under the moonlight, the demon monster knelt down in defeat. "You…"

Uncle Liu’s severed body fell more than ten meters away, the knife he held piercing the heart of the demon monster.

"I have wanted to die for a long time. You came at the wrong time," Uncle Liu said. "Even dying together would count as my victory."

"You are as shameless as ever."

"I am shameless for killing even the woman I loved," Uncle Liu said. "In the next life, let’s learn how to be human together."

"Heh… I will never become like you," the demon monster sneered and took its last breath.

Uncle Liu let go, his body falling to the ground, lightly and without much pain, only a sense of liberating relief.

He lay on his back, hearing footfalls coming from the jungle. He turned his head and saw the young man standing there, covered in blood, his expression bewildered.